Holland-Amerika Line

Rotterdam has the largest port in Europe, stretching from the city @30 miles inland to the English Channel (google image this, it's astounding). Today, cruise ships leave from the same pier that Europeans left from starting four hundred years ago, heading to America because of poverty and/or religious persecution. Mathias Nafzger (Lesley's great x 7 grandfather on her mom's side) left for these reasons as well, a Swiss Mennonite from the German states of Wirtembug and Palatinate. Mathias sailed with his two brothers to Philadelphia on September 15, 1749 on the Phoenix, a sailing bark (think revolutionary way-era ships, pre-steam by almost 100 years).

The pier


















Over a hundred years later (in 1873), ships began sailing regularly to the States from Rotterdam. This Holland-Amerika line became the now famous cruise ship company. Their old terminal has been converted into a beautiful old hotel called Hotel New York, in the Nooder Island neighborhood that is currently being revitalized (with Calatrava-inspired bridge et al.).
























































































The Hotel New York recommended the Maritime Museum for info on people sailing before the Holland-Amerika line was started. Their research library held a few treasures...









The museum librarian connected us with this compilation of passenger lists, 30,000 names.









Passenger list of Mathias' boat












A painting of a ship from c. 1749 in Rotterdam, showing the cathedral that still stands in the background.












This being only our second stop on our family heritage tour, we already feel so rewarded for embarking on this journey.